That’s It!

I’m amazed at how much difference the binding makes. So I’m finished. 24th  May 2015 until 29th July 2020. You won’t have to look at my incessant progress reports anymore!

220cm long x 112 cm wide.
Is binding the absolute worst part or what!

I’ve placed it forward f my last try out. Looks better but I think it will be for  my bedroom or front hallway, when we get one?
Thanks to my rug hooking friends comments too. Much appreciated!

I’m not going to think about it anymore. Just need to bind it up and bung it under the chaise. Not thinking... 

Like... yes, I know the colours don’t directly relate to the chaise, it’s a separate stand alone. Goes with the cushions. And I’m already imagining a swirling mass of Pompeii style gold octopus or frolicking deer and flowers picked out from the upholstery... hmm, sounding good... That would compliment the beautiful piece of furniture better. Sigh.

And if the background was a green grey, rather than duck egg... Or golds with a subtle sky at the top/back...

And let’s face it, a rug at least a metre longer and wider... which wouldn’t fit in the house by the way.

I Thought I’d Be Finished This Weekend! But...

Apart from the binding, I really thought I was nearly there... and I am, in the scheme of things. But laying it out shows I have a way to go.
So, to decide:
Do I like the oval shape? I guess I won’t know for sure until it’s in situ. Bit meh at the minute. Too... clean lined or something. Pukey?
Still not completely sold on the apricot either but same, situ will tell. I will change it if I don’t. None of this ‘Oh Well‘ business when you’re looking at it for evermore.
It’s a bigger! I could lay down and stretch my arms up in the air and still be on it just about. And I’m 5’7”.
I feel like the flowers along the sides work (like the green) to make a textured fabric (visually) rather than dominate. Hubby pointed out that I tend to use similar values together in patterns. I’m not sure if he thought it a good thing (as in, you hardly notice it). I hadn’t pondered it before but, wanting a large, neutral background, it can be a bit boring if you do it all the same, even if it’s mottled.
My friend Chris made a large rug, shown (badly) below, and you can see her excellent background. It’s subtle but very effective.

Anyhow, here I am. I think if I decide to make it a rectangle, I’ll do the corners in the same orange dots of the centre. Hmm, that sounds like a bit of a plan? 

Feel Like It’s Working Out OK?

I’ve been working on this a lot lately. You know how you need to do a fair bit of something before you decide if it looks ok or not? Well, those side flowers... around the orange dots... I struggled for a good idea to fill the space, because something needed to happen. I feel like it’s worked, in as much as I didn’t want another ‘thing’ happening, but the plain greys looked boring and vast. This gives a subtle, soft and pretty vibe to the sides. So, I’m happy. 😊 Not sure what colour the centers of these little blossoms will be. Red might be a bit much? Or just right. Fortunately it’s not much hooking to try a few different colours.
That’s a question by the way. Is red too much? There’s only one with a centre, see? Waddya say?
Or maybe the pink ones could have blue centers and vice verse. Hmmm...

The blue of the new side blooms kind of vanishes, but its ‘glow‘ is the effect that feels right. It’s there and not there.
I’m busting to start my next design. I’ve been drawing and redrawing for the last week or more. Weeks. At work, keeping away from everyone else in a little room. Waiting to do the actual work I’m paid for is way more fun. If we’re quiet, then I’m taking the opportunity and running with it.
I bought a scrap book, and have been pasting printouts of the moods I want and any references etc. It feels as fun as primary school. Old school cut and paste.
Another thing, I want to make chaise coasters to stop the legs marking the carpet after it’s finished.

Decisions On The Chaise Rug

I’ve been steadily plodding away at this rug and now have to decide about a couple of things.
Firstly, the blue in the centre of the larger floral motifs is from an old cardigan (meaning it’s not dyed wool and has a different cast) and the colour seems too strong. I might change that and use the same as the other flowers. Yes...
Secondly, maybe the pink and probably the oranges in the larger motif doesn’t feel right. Either or. I’m not sure whether to bring the pumpkin into them? Mmm... Or is it just the lighter, candy orange one (nearest in pic above)?
Sitting here on the verandah on this gorgeous, mild winters’ day, I see there’s a clash that offends me. I’m just pondering out loud and inviting you to suffer along with me.

I don’t care what anyone says, I like the green.

You can see I’ve made a dogs-breakfast with my scribbling in figuring out the background. I tried adding a swathe sort of thing in subtle but different colours, which looked wrong... then I added raised spots with the background colour. They looked amazing but not for here. It was way too much and it’s already too colourful for the poor One True. Good idea for another rug... just raised spots in one colour. Like those moss rugs.
So I’m stumbling through the fog of an idea to use only background shades to suggest foliage, inter dispersed with dots that are not raised (I’ve started but the floor really really really needs vacuuming and my hand hurts).
Or, just work in a direction, with lines flowing out as the now defunct swathes suggested.
Excuse me for boring you to tears, and please, feel free to butt in. 
But you might be pleased to know I’ve decided stuff just in talking it through. Thanks.

Right, The Chaise Rug Saga... What Next?

Jo Franco asked me to show how much I'd done and it's at a good point to regroup anyway. 

Right, well, firstly... This rug is to go underneath an old chaise, hence the 3D effect on the dots. The legs go in the middle of the space in each corner, so the 3 outside 'flowers' surround them.

I can see I need to actually lay it out under the chaise, sigh. Boring! (Update. I did and I'm very happy with everything as it is. Phew!).

Question to myself (and to you): I'm not sure about the green anymore. There's a clear green in the ancient Bulgarian rug which will be in the same room, but the green blanket I've used is very clean and crisp. It might need to be removed. While I'm at it, I'm not sure about the apricot either! But I'll wait on that one. And the larger flowers' centres.
Answer: The green glows and picks up on the shine of the French hand-loomed silk upholstering. There's a story behind this chaise too...

This is the first rug I did, which inspired the newby. I love these dirty greys, but made the new one  more duck egg blue. Nice. Very happy about that. But I'm noticing how earthy that one is and I like that. This one is getting too candified. Buggrit! Bit depressed but I'll push on through!The dirty pink works nicely so maybe I need to replicate that mood. I already said buggrit!

These dotted lines are more subtle.

You can't see well with these photo's, but all is well, it looks good. I made coffee so I could sit and problem-solve, putting my big person pants on in case I really needed to pull a lot out and do it again. But no.. I'll just plug on.

I think the ends can be oval. The chaise may end up anywhere after the renovations and the rug neds to be a frame for it plus fit against a wall or in the open. Plus, I might replicate the leafy swathes as on the frst Uzbekistan inspired rig and as drawn on the fabric. Not sure what colour yet.
Thanks Jo! If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have gone through this experimant and may have sunk into depression!

Melbourne Show 2019w

We did it. The Melbourne Show for one day. It sounds simple, pack a case, go to show, demonstrate rug making...
There is always a lot of interest in rug making. We didn’t have our big proddy frames and it’s these proggy/clippy/peggy/proddy rugs that the children like to try. However Anne had a standing hoop frame for quilting so managed to let folk have a bit of a go... and lots of people watched or tried hooking too. Plus I got along with my Uzbekistan style rug #2.

It still surprises me that Rug Hooking is so little known in Australia, considering how it parallels quilting in the USA and always has.
But, we did meet Lee, who plans to come on Sunday, so slowly the group is expanding! And we have Veronica as well so that’s two more.

On the way in I bought a coffee at Belgrave’s Blacksmith Cafe and the lovely Alex was wearing this amazing cowl. Her grandfather had spun the wool and she had crocheted it herself. It is done in Crocodile stitch. It was so gorgeous and unusual I asked if I could photograph and post it. Thanks Alex.

I keep meaning to say that another old friend Jennifer Walton, who lives in Far North Queensland, is now a long distance member of our group. Jennie went crazy on tugging after a visit down to mine a little while back. I gave her Miriam’s excellent book and that’s the end of her!

Jen is onto her second rug, this time a hooked rug. She has a good eye as you will see. Pics to follow.

(Too lazy to come and bring a plate, obviously).

Sunday at Buda in Castlemaine

Anne and I spent a warm day at Buda yesterday, talking to people and demonstrating our rug making.
I managed to get some bad photo's of the rugs inside the old homestead. The tour of the house was taken by an Enthusiast of the history and she described a family of largely unmarried girls who were encouraged and educated in anything they fancied and led a very adventurous life. It's worth a read here, and definitely worth the tour, although I'd like to go back and look at my leisure (knowing the story). The whole place, inside and out, has been donated to the Castlemaine Art Gallery, which also hold a fabulous collection and is worth a visit.

These Hooked Rugs are made on the old latch-hook canvas (which is so much harder to use than hessian or linen). A lady did a demonstration in the garden but we had to admit it was hard not to butt in! It was suggested you Must Put Latex or Thinned Glue on the Back to keep it together! Exclamation Mark! We politely didn't say anything and at least there was a bit of interest.
She did use a latch-hook with the latch sticky-taped shut, which isn't a bad idea and they are easily found in op shops. 
But I wanted to say how much Cheaper and Easier it is to work on hessian. And they don't fall apart. And come inside and look at ours!

Here I am working on the footy rug.

Anne with her newest proddy, started for the show (I think).

This one was behind a cabinet and in shadow. I really like it! 

Tired, Sore neck, But Happy In Myself!

I've spent the last two days at the Melbourne Show, demonstrating mostly rug making (proddy). And the KIDS! They're gorgeous! I fell properly in love about a dozen times, with these little blossoms taking to proddy-rugging like earnest, determined, clever, darling little clever people... I know I said clever twice, but there it is. Usually their Mum's were ready to go before they were and I nearly ran after one little petal with presents and adoption papers.

Could be I like orange.

This is when I first set up, before people. When they arrived I didn't get away unless Ramona or Liz or Mandy or Annette came to boss me into a break (thanks for that guys, I didn't want to be impolite and found it hard to go). There were kids at the rug almost the whole time, and adults of course. People love to share their stories and I like to hear them. Win/win.

Below is a nice story. I always buy one of these from the show. I have some oldies too, and so it was nice to see their history.

Thanks Ramona for inviting me. It gives me a real buzz to evangelize the crafts. I also got quite a bit done!

Plodding away...

I'm still working on it every weekend, although knitting has gotten in the way a little, and some embroidery of late... I leave it at my Dad's house, where I spend a couple of days a week. I used to bring it home every time, thinking (with weekly renewed enthusiasm) that I'd work on it between times, but never do.
However, having nothing else to do (much, at least) for two days (which includes a long evening in front of the tele) means I can get a lot done.

The green is stronger/clearer than in the photo (phone-photo). 

This motif is a different shade at each end, only because I was seeing what the other colour was like and whether or not it was better. I like them both so they'll stay different. Same with the oink flower motifs. Each is slightly different.
It's huge! And will take ages yet...

Using the old ironing board (with a mini one on top) gives me good standing height. Better for creaking back.

The Chaise Rug

The rug is 220 x 112cm. Backing fabric is nylon (I think). I 100% prefer to use linen, but couldn’t get it wide enough. I don’t really like working on this stuff as it splits a bit and it feels plasticky. The hooking is wool.
Much as I love hooking with silks etc., it’ll use tons of fabric and I don’t have it. I do, however, have heaps of old blankets and plenty of dye.
The drawing is roughly based on the Uzbekistan style of textile. I just love Central Asian textile designs, particularly Uzbeki, with their organic, hand-drawn, flowing motifs and pointiness. They are embroidered but lend themselves to hooking.
I made one already, which looked good in front of the beautiful old chaise (and rubbish in its intended position), so decided to do this new biggie and the first can go somewhere else. The chaise is covered in deep cerulean blue French (hand-woven) brocade, the absolute centre-piece in the house, so any rug needs to be a bit glowing and a bit subtle, hence the warm grey background. It deserves a major chunk of my time!
In the central, large polka-dot area, The big orangey-yellow dots are raised, Waldoboro style, which should look good as seen from an angle. That bit will be under the middle of the chaise.